Hectographic and like duplicating machines



Feb. 26, 1963 E. BROUGHAM 3,078,

HECTOGRAPHIC AND LIKE DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fbgl.

JIM/1% A TTGP/VEY 1963 L. E. BROUGHAM 3,078,794

I-IECTOGRAPHIC AND LIKE DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mam 70,4

Ja /0% m 1963 E. BROUGHAM HECTOGRAPHIC AND LIKE DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY that e co mencement of thenioi'stened region'of 'lever mechanism which is co'r iple United States Faitent kd F. 3 69, e e C laimsipriority, application Great Britain Mar. 2, 1959 h 3 Claims. (Cl.1 1 l3;'. 5)

This invention relates to hectographie and lilge duplieating niachinesand is more particularly con' ce'rned with afduplic'ating rnachine comprising 'a niastencarrying printir s dru i his a ab e m' m al fl y e a ian l In machines of such type it: is necessary to provide means for ensuring the arrest of the printing drum' ata predetermined initialor starting position in order to permit the accurate'feedin'g-in of the copy sheet with relation to the image on the master sheet which is supported by the printing drum. In order to do so it is customary to provide some'fo'rn'i of locating means, such'as afspring} urged roller carriedupeon the rnachine fra g dhd' to enter 'a de pression" or dwell region in'the contoured surface of a cam disc carried by the'printing druni; When such =drurn' is arranged for rotation'by the 'ri a'nual cranlg handle'through a speed reducing gear train; for instance one affording a 2:1 speed reduction whereby two cornpiete revolutions of the crank handle are needed to rotate the drum through each operative single-revolution printing cycle, the provision ofthe requisite degree oi accuracy of location in thefreq'uired starting position withoutyat the same time, imposing an excessive resistance 't'o'resumed niovernent of the cranlc'handle away from such locating position in order to effect the'neitt operation,

not unduly difiicult. Whe n, however; for simplicity and cheapness it is desired to eliminate the speed Jredrictr i1 gearing and to couple the crank 'handledirectly to the printing drum, the provision oi an adequate degree of accuracy of positioning of thedr'urn without exeessiv'e resistance to resumed movement of the cranlc handle ay become'difficult. T is d i y is n reased whe he m hine ranged to employ aa'mj n a; rr'ioifste'nin' pad typefo'r 'applyin'g'a'fihn of 01 cut l quid v, r 7 face "of the copy'sheet as it enters the printing bight or hip between thQ Printing drunran' a co-operatiiig coil te ifpr'es'sure roller. The easontor this is that; W1 sub (1 type damping means, i is essential also to lift er" ot rwise' separate the damping pad freman' opposingcopy sheet supporting surfaceatthe Saine 'initial'ohstarting Po t on n or t0 P m t n e P s e t 'th f s d edge of the new copy sheet 'then'beingprese'ntedto the machine past such damping 'Pad aud right 11p to thepri'ritirig nip. This positioning of the new copyshe tis e sential in order that the sheet maybe gripped w thin" such n immediately, the P in n drum mh n i i he r rotati n and is thereby drawn in o" th e inc inproper registration with the master i' rage c r'ried' byYthep'rmting drum. At the same instant, the dain'piiig" pad giius't'be lowered again on to the copy sheet in \ordefto ensure such sheet arrives "at the printing nip'hefo're the f rst part the m-a-sterimage; i i. a i .i

S h p d l ft n m ement n the su seq t a lowering moveinent on to the'copy' sheet irlrimediatelythe latter starts tomov e' forwardly inust'he effected automatically'and are usually'br'ought about bymeans a further jcarn 'secur'ed to the'print'n and rating thro gh a ui ab e i e o Ptbi r fi n 1Q w 'io'l th QfimPi 'pad whereby the latter ,is rnoved away f [In itsfno'rrrialsheet contacting position against 'the'a'ctio'n of biasing spring is ar- 3,078,794 at n d b.- 2649 ice 2 means as, the printing drum is brought to the, said; initial crvstarfifigppsifiony, i.

So farf as' the operator is concerned, the effect of such pad lifting arrangements is to'rnakethe precise starting positioninoi'e difiiciilt'to 'detern ine since it now occurs intermediates position of the crank Handle where eitrapressureis needed to cause the lifting ofthe' darnp ing pad and a second position. wherethe opefiatingpressure required isfte mporarily lessened as the clamping pad 'returns again to its lowered operative position 'under'the influencef'of its. biasingsp'ring. Theresult is a tendency for the operator to overshoot the 'required starting position unless the resistance to movement imposed by the ret rta h n msa f t l i th r nsrs ssd n ob e t Qtt p' es t in en on o P d n irnprovedan'd simplified construction'for use in such machines having a director 1:1 driving connection between theope'ratirig crankhandleand the printing drum whereby t e ab ve s bed. d is v o' d um o t t IQ- duced' or elirninatedh 1 i In an. arrangement according to the invention the .operating crank handle is provided with'a'stop member, positi ned n m l v en e h 'a s a o a y fl li m carried upon the machine frame in a position which positively arrests the printing drum in the required starting posit ons 91 s ep s' t r b n tsel ov e n y, as byipressu'r'eio'f lihlhllilibg; finger of the operator'while grasping'th'e crank handle, against the action of spring biasing rneans to a. position where such stop is rnoved l ar o aid tt o i airia utn ent e y o permit h c'ofr'ninence'men't eta fresh opetative stroke of the crank .hem n v e eab e pa A mernber is so positioned relatively, to the handle grip of the'fcrank handle, that it must be relea ed byi the'oper'ator' asthe'c'rfanlchan'dle is rotated to;- wardly through a com ie e erative revolution i Inorde r' that the nature 'ot'the invention may be more readilyunderstoo'd'dne particular constructional erhbodi- 1 is a plan view of an operating crank handle arrangement in accordancewith the revenues. 1

i i corresponding side elev'a ionahview of the ar i g mamq q isa vertical. cross-section taken through spirit duplicat ng machine embodying known iofrriis of drum locating" and darnping'pad lifting arrangements while ""FIG'. 4 is a side .elevational view ,of a'machine, similar to that shown in 3 but incorporating the drurn Iocating arrangements of the present invention; Referencewill first be irnade t-o' F I G. 3 in which the rnachine shown comprises a priri'tin g' 21 secure'd to a horizo ntal' axle 22" j ournall'e'd at each end the side frame plates 20. of the machine andof which only the left-handplateis shown. "The" El has operating crank handle directly connected thereto and is provided with an axially directed slot 23 in its peripheral stance/rot receiving and holding, in already manner, a leading edge of the iina'geQbearing tnaster sheet 24 "which is normally disposed wrapped around a part of the peripheral surface of thedrurn." The drurn zl eta-operates with 'a counterpressure roller li secured upon a spindle 26 which is conventionally mounted in .t iv isrs s v s t was 4 16* h w) Whmb'v c counterpressure rollernisv urgC resiliently V wards the printing drurn with a' pressure whichca'n be djuste'd at the operator; copy. sheet, as'shetv s ed 9 t e Pr ntin ti h as n 2. av h drum a d untenance o le -L Q-Ysi a ced r-la '29 x nding between the side frame plates 20. After passing through the printing nip the printed copy sheet is delivered over a delivery plate 30.

To effect damping or moistening of each copy sheet as it passes into the printing nip.thereisprovided padtype damping mechanism 31 including ;a pad 32 offelt .or like material carried in a box-like casing 33 provided with .a liquid supplyconduit 34. IIh e pad 3 2 with its casing 33 is carried, in readily removablemanner in a guide ,channelformed between plates 35 .and 36 forming part of a support strueture37 which is pivotally mounted at.eac h side and as indicated at 38 upon the opposite side plates 20. Attachedto such support structure ,37iis an arm ,38 carryinga cam followefr roller ;3,9 .atitsfree end. Such follower roller is .biased, as by spring means 40,:towards the periphery of acam disc 41 secured ,to the drum 21. The ca rn disc 41 has asingle raised portion.42 andthe'arrangement issuch that, only .when .such raised portion is under ,the cam follower roller 3.9, is.the.damping.pad. 3.2 lifted clear of the feed p late29 .thereby .to allow unobstructed ,feeding in movement ofthe copy sheet 27 .right upto the printing .bight 28. At-all .other positions .of thecam disc 41,.the pad 32 is lowered so as to wipe the upper surface of the copysheetasit passes totheprintingnip 28.

The printing drum 21 isshown in FIG. ,3 in the aforementioned initial or starting positionand is located in such position by means of arcamlfollowerroller 43 which .is carried at thefreeend of ,a lever arm 44 .pivotally mounted upon the lleftghand side plate 20 .and is resiliently urged by spring means 451into adwellregion 46 .in the periphery of a furthercarn disc 47 connected to vthe printing drum21.

As will be .apParcnt iromjEI G. 3,-the movement of the printing drum 21 to th e initialor starting position, as .shown,"hy means of the crank .handle 1,0, necessitates some increase in the pressure applied to the han dl e in order to .lift the .cam follower roller ;39 up on to the peak of the raised portion 42 oftbaoam .disc 41. When such roller 39is resting upon the peak of thisraised portion 42 the other ,camgfollower roller 43 has dropped into thedwell region 46 ofthe camydisc 47 a nd i n s o doing has tended to apply a'limited amount of forward 'torque'tothe-drum 21. Similarly when rotation ofthe 'less the dwell region 46 is made deep or steepsided or,

alternatively, heavy spring pressure is applied by the spring means 45. In view ofthe direct driving connection between the crank handle and the drum 21 any such measures to increase the sense of positive' location in the initial or starting position uot only increase the etfort'required from the operator to start each operation but also tend to introduce erratic or jerkyoperation of the machine whereby the speed of rotation of the printing drum is uneven. This can result in poor quality prints by reason of inequality of the amount ofsolvent applied to the copy sheetas it is moved with varying velocity beneath the damping pad 32.

Referring now to FIG. 4, showing one arrangement in accordance with the invention, the drum locating means'of FIG. 3, consisting of the cam follower roller 43 and the cam disc 47 are eliminated and instead'the crank handle 10 is provided with a movable stopgindicated generally at 14, which is normally biased to a position where apart thereof positively engagesa stationary abutment-19 fixed tothe outer surface of the right-hand side frame plate 20. When such engagement 'ing connection, having an outwardlybentthumb receiving portion at one 70- v wendtsa dstop membe -be pivotally m u J the J inner surface of said crank handle for rocking movement .about .a point intermediate said inwardly and outwardly bentportions, spring means biasing said stop member to takes place the drum 21 is arrested in the desired initial or starting position identical with that shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now also to FIGS. 1 and 2, the crank handle 10 comprises a conventional radial arm 12 carrying an outwardly projecting grip roller 13 at its free end. Adjacent :this grip ro l ler '13, on the inside or frame facing surface oruie arm 12, is arranged the movable stop member "14 consisting .of a metal plate having an nvturned lug :15 at its :lowerend and anoutwardlvturned thumb pie ce lti at its upper endisuch thumb pieceibeing positioned to .overlieth'e' end of the arm 12 immediately alongside the grip roller 13 when theparts are in the position as shown in FIG. 4, which corresponds to that .of the initial or starting position ,of the drum 21.

The stop mernber 14 :is pivotally mounted upon the arm .12 by means of .a pivot arm 18 and is biased by means of a spring 17 disposed around such pivot pin 18 so are normally tooccupy the position shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 ,2 and 4. In .this position the lug 15 is so positioned that it comes into positive engagement with the fixed stop pin 19 projecting outwardly from the ad- .jacent side frame plate ,Ztlof the machine as the crank ,handleis.moveddownwardlyinthe direction of the arrow a, .FIG. ,2, .atithe completion of each operative stroke of the handle.

T0 commence a freshstrokepf the crank handle m ,order to effect -a further printing operation upon the .nflwly inserted.copysheet, theoperatormust first depress thethumb piece 16 therebyto move the lug 15 clear of the stop pin .19. Such depressed position is shown in chain dotted linesin FIG. .4. The crank handle lflcan now berotated but, by reason of the position of the thumb piece 16 with relation tQthefree end-of the crank handle, this thurn b piecemustautornatically pass fromunder the t m th o ratq a thefi a ha i o te fi s downward y a t e upw rd y again throu h a enmp terevo uti ns nc am P9 fi di p ac om Ithat shown inEIG. -4,.the. thumb piece 16 is'lying undernqath and not on top of thecr'ank handle. In consequ n a e ran h nd a a a p ch th posi n shownin FIG- n ab rther l a s e be 14 is in a position where r the lug 1 5 again engages the stoppin 19 and so arrests ,the fdrurn 21 in thecorrect initial position at the precise end of one operative revolution of thedrum.

The arrest position. ofthe crank handle 10 is preferably arranged, as shown, to beapproximately beyondits uppermost ver tical position whereby the vil litial starting movement of the crank handle isalways downwardsto- .wards the table or other surfaceby which the machine is supported. This avoids any tendency for a machine which is of relativel,yvlight construction to belifted by .the p lier ma u op sp es u =.e .tai to m .s mach ne pa iwlarl pp e le m eh nesi i rl s a letha t s a k n l h l b e i tashabl lath .par i ula m sfirn ts w t requirement is metby" providing the centre boss of the handle .wrth a projectingspigot pin 11 having a, fiat surtas .48etit ite' end oo e at w a mp so;

mentary D -seetion region of an axial borein the drum axle.221n order to set up therequi site driving connection "between thedrum 21 and the handle 10.

I clairn:

1. A hectographic duplicating machine comprising a machine framework and a printing drum rotatably mounted therein, a manually operable crank handle or eratively connected tO said printing drum by a 1:1 driva stop member comprising a metal plate end and aninwardly bent stop-forming lug at its opposite afirst position, and a stationary abutment on said machine framework positioned to be in the path of said stopforrning lug when said stop member is in said first position to arrest said drum in the correct position for commencement of an operation cycle of the machine, said stop member being movable against said spring means by pressure applied to said thumb-receiving portion to a second position where said stop-forming lug is clear of said stationary abutment to allow commencement of said operation cycle.

2. A hectographic duplicating machine comprising a machine framework and a printing drum rotatably mounted therein, a manually operable crank handle including a handle grip directly connected to said printing drum, a stop member comprising a metal plate having an outwardly bent thumb receiving portion at one end and an inwardly bent stop-forming lug at its opposite end, said stop member being pivotally mounted at the free end of said crank handle with said thumb-receiving portion overlying said handle grip for rocking movement about a point intermediate said inwardly and outwardly bent portions, spring means biasing said stop member to a first position, and a stationary abutment on said machine framework positioned to be in the path of said stop-forming lug when said stop member is in said first position to arrest said drum in the correct position for commencement of an operation cycle of the machine, said stop member being movable against said spring means by pressure applied to said thumb-receiving portion to a second position where said stop-forming lug is clear of said stationary abutment to allow commencement of said operation cycle.

3. A hectographic duplicating machine comprising a machine framework and a printing drum rotatably mounted therein, a manually operable crank handle provided with a spigot having a flattened free end, a complementary socket for said spigot end in said drum to provide a readily releasable direct driving connection between said handle and said printing drum, a stop member comprising a metal plate having an outwardly bent thumb receiving portion at one end and an inwardly bent stop-forming lug at its opposite end, said stop member being pivotally mounted on the inner surface of said crank handle for rocking movement about a point intermediate said inwardly and outwardly bent portions, spring means biasing said stop member to a first position, and a stationary abutment on said machine framework positioned to be in the path of said stop-forming lug when said stop member is in said first position to arrest said drum in the correct position for commencement of an operation cycle of the machine, said stop member being movable against said spring means by pressure applied to said thumb-receiving portion to a second position where said stop-forming lug is clear of said stationary abutment to allow commencement of said operation cycle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,543 Stableford Ian. 24, 1911 2,128,507 Storck Aug. 30, 1938 2,215,495 Berman Sept. 24, 1940 2,273,272 Knauer Feb. 17, 1942 

1. A HECTOGRAPHIC DUPLICATING MACHINE COMPRISING A MACHINE FRAMEWORK AND A PRINTING DRUM ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREIN, A MANUALLY OPERABLE CRANK HANDLE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PRINTING DRUM BY A 1:1 DRIVING CONNECTION, A STOP MEMBER COMPRISING A METAL PLATE HAVING AN OUTWARDLY BENT THUMB RECEIVING PORTION AT ONE END AND AN INWARDLY BENT STOP-FORMING LUG AT ITS OPPOSITE END, SAID STOP MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CRANK HANDLE FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT ABOUT A POINT INTERMEDIATE SAID INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY BENT PORTIONS, SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID STOP MEMBER TO A FIRST POSITION, AND A STATIONARY ABUTMENT ON SAID MACHINE FRAMEWORK POSITIONED TO BE IN THE PATH OF SAID STOPFORMING LUG WHEN SAID STOP MEMBER IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION TO ARREST SAID DRUM IN THE CORRECT POSITION FOR COMMENCEMENT OF AN OPERATION CYCLE OF THE MACHINE, SAID STOP MEMBER BEING MOVABLE AGAINST SAID SPRING MEANS BY PRESSURE APPLIED TO SAID THUMB-RECEIVING PORTION TO A SECOND POSITION WHERE SAID STOP-FORMING LUG IS CLEAR OF SAID STATIONARY ABUTMENT TO ALLOW COMMENCEMENT OF SAID OPERATION CYCLE. 